Things to look forward to in 2019. Depression is known to be so emotionally draining in part due to the fact that those who suffer from it feel permanently and chronically “stuck,” with nothing new to look forward to on the horizon. Sound familiar?

The late comedian George Burns once quipped that his secret to feeling young was to “have something to look forward to when he woke up every morning.” If you’ve been dealing with the holiday blues, or if you deal with mental illness issues like anxiety and/or depression regularly, perhaps you’ve been thinking that now that the holidays are over, that it’s January 2019, and that there’s nothing but grey days in store for the next couple of months. But think again.

It’s interesting to hear so many people diss on a year that’s coming to a close, without thinking about all the great things that happened. Think of all the people you know who have grumbled something along the lines of, “Wow, 2018 was terrible. I can’t wait for the new year!”

To help you keep some “big picture” perspective for the new year, from tech, science, movies, social change, following are some things we can all look forward to in 2019.

The world is (most likely) not going to end. Hey, there’s a break! A few years ago it was predicted that an asteroid was going to pass by the Earth in 2019 with a minor chance of crashing into us (which would have been nothing short of utterly catastrophic). NASA, however, has officially declared that such a collision with earth will not occur, and that the asteroid will not fly by as closely as initially predicted. In fact, it will be pass by us over 2.5 million miles farther away. Sorry YouTube conspiracy-mongers.

Five eclipses. Remember the 2017 eclipse that went all across North America? South America and South Asia will now have a turn at amazing eclipse views. July 2, 2019 will show us a complete solar eclipse over southern Chile and Argentina, as well as over parts of the South Pacific. On December 26, the day after Christmas, another total eclipse will head across the Arabian Peninsula and then over areas of South Asia. All in all, the world will enjoy five eclipses in 2019, some solar and some lunar.

2019 Women’s World Cup. The FIFA Women’s World Cup, will take place in June through July 2019 in France, whose men’s team happened to win the 2018 World Cup. The U.S. Women’s National Team returns as the event’s reigning champions from the 2015 World Cup in Canada. Not a soccer fan, but prefer rugby instead? The Men’s Rugby World Cup is set to happen in Japan in September.

A $100 million Fortnite gaming tournament. If you’ve never heard of the game called Fortnite, here is a great way to become better acquainted. There isa large Epic Games Fortnite tournament coming in 2019 with a winner’s pot of $100 million. Anyone with a gaming console, lots of attitude, and skills can join in. Qualifying brackets have already begun, but qualifications will go on through the better part of the year before the big tournament begins.

So, there you have just a taste of what there is to be excited about coming your way next year. Which brings us back to George Burns. Another piece of sage advice he left behind for us involves an old saying, “Life begins at 40.” George Burns’ take? “…That’s silly. Life begins every morning you wake up.” Here’s wishing you a great 2019!

Concerned about your own depression and/or anxiety? Both are treatable and manageable. If you or someone close to you need to talk to someone about mental health issues that seem overwhelming, we can help. Consider reaching out to our expert team at Solara Mental Healthat 844-600-9747.